Friday, January 16, 2026

Middle East

Jordanian police say 3 officers killed in raid on hideout of suspected terrorists

Three Jordanian police personnel have been killed in a raid on the hideout of the suspected killers of a policeman in the southern city of Maan, according to a police statement.

Security sources say at least nine Iraqi police killed in blast near Kirkuk

At least nine Iraqi federal police officers were killed in a bomb blast near the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq on Sunday, security sources told Reuters.

No meeting scheduled between Iran-Saudi officials in Jordan: IRNA

The official Iranian news agency says no meeting has been scheduled between the Iranian and Saudi sides on the sidelines of an upcoming meeting in the Jordanian capital, amid a lull in the diplomatic process between the two neighbors designed for reconciliation.

Red Cross: 70% of Yemenis need assistance

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned of a worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen, reporting that 70 percent of Yemenis are in need of assistance due to the repercussions of the Saudi-led war on the impoverished country.

Israeli settler kills two Palestinian brothers near Nablus

An Israeli settler has run over two Palestinian brothers near the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, killing one and fatally injuring another before fleeing the scene.

US senators call on Biden to pressure Lebanon MPs over formation of new gov’t

Top Republican and Democratic senators have urged the administration of US President Joe Biden to use sanctions to pressure Lebanese lawmakers to form a new government.

Jordanian activists call for more fuel protests

Jordanians staged sit-ins and activists called for more demonstrations against fuel price increases that have caused the cost of living to rise. The Friday protest follows a day of unrest in the southern city of Maan that left one police officer dead.

Israel serious threat to regional security: Iran FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has warned about the serious threats posed by the Israeli regime to the Middle East region.

Jordanian police officer killed in clashes over fuel prices

A senior police officer has been killed in clashes with demonstrators in the southern Jordanian city of Maan during protests over high fuel prices that have spread to several cities across the kingdom, police and witnesses have said.

Car bomb in Turkey’s restive southeast wounds several police officers: Officials

Several Turkish police officers have been injured after a car bomb exploded as their minibus was passing on a highway in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Turkish officials have confirmed.

Turkey’s Erdogan proposes trilateral meeting with Russia and Syria leaders

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed that he proposed to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that they meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Irish soldier on UN mission killed in Lebanon

An Irish soldier has been killed on a United Nations peackeeping duty in Lebanon after a convoy of two armoured utility vehicles carrying eight personnel travelling to Beirut came under fire, Ireland’s defence forces have confirmed.

Saudi-led coalition seizes two Yemen-bound fuel tankers

The Saudi-led coalition has seized two more Yemen-bound fuel ships, preventing them from docking at the strategic western port of Hudaydah.

Yemeni official blames UN inaction for Saudi crimes in Yemen

A Yemeni official has denounced the United Nations inaction on Saudi Arabia’s crimes in Yemen, saying the world body only talks about statistics and does not take any steps to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged country.

China says relations with Iran, PGCC never target third party

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin has reaffirmed Beijing’s traditional friendly relations with Iran. Wenbin added China’s ties with Iran and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council do not target any third party.

US says 2 Daesh ‘officials’ killed in Syria raid

The US forces have killed two members of the Daesh terror group in in a helicopter raid in eastern Syria, the US military announced in a statement on Monday without specifying the location of the overnight operation.

Over 11k children killed or maimed in Yemen war: UNICEF

More than 11,000 boys and girls have been killed or injured in Saudi-led war in Yemen - an average of four a day since fighting escalated in 2015, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported.

Palestinian kid killed in Israeli raid on Jenin

Israeli troops killed a Palestinian child during a raid on the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

Israel, UAE ink comprehensive economic partnership agreement

Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have officially signed a comprehensive economic partnership deal two years into a widely-bashed normalization agreement.

Yemen warns foreign companies against “plundering energy resources”

The minister of oil and minerals in Yemen’s National Salvation Government has warned foreign firms against looting energy resources of the war-wracked Arab country. The Yemeni official stressed that Sana’a will spare no effort to defend its national sovereignty and safeguard Yemen’s public interests and wealth.

Israel detained 6,500 Palestinians, including minors, in 2022: Report

Israeli military forces have arrested 6,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of women and children, across the occupied West Bank, since the beginning of the current year, according to a report.

Saudi Arabia, China agree to boost ties on energy, defence

Saudi Arabia and China have reaffirmed their cooperation on the global oil market and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs during a visit to Riyadh by the Chinese president.

Palestinian teenager shot dead by Israeli soldiers in WB

Israeli military forces have killed a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank. It comes hours after three Palestinian men lost their lives during an Israeli raid on the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

China’s president meets Saudi’s crown prince ahead of summit with Arab leaders

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) has received China’s President Xi Jinping in Riyadh as part of a visit expected to bolster bilateral political and economic ties.

Lebanon MPs fail for 9th time to fill vacant presidency

Lebanon's parliament failed to elect a new president Thursday for a ninth time, despite the damage the political deadlock is doing to efforts to bail out its economy.

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